Since the stone-age, man has paid great attention to his safety and security. He used to live in cages and protect himself from unfavourable weather, natural calamities and wild animals by living in caves. While moving around he used to protect himself from wild animals or enemies using stones and sticks. As the primitive man evolved, he started using sharper weapons like sword, bow & arrow etc. to protect himself. When moving around alone in dense jungles or unknown places, man would keep track of himself by making signs on trees or spilling pebbles or such small things on the way he proceeded.
In this modern age too, man is concerned about his own and his near and dear ones' safety and security. With rising competition, enmity among people has also increased and sexual offences are also on the rise. Moreover, due to unemployment or other financial crises, many tend to wrong means for earning money which may include looting people, kidnapping them or causing different kinds of harms. Such incidents make people cautious and they keep worrying about their safety and security. With the development of science and technology, various inventions have been made to provide safety to individuals and keep a track of them.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,309 discloses a passive air, gas aerosol or pressurized fluid activated personal self-protection screech alarm device that is armed prior to the person utilizing it entering into a potentially dangerous area or situation. The primary and radically different feature of this device from those currently patented and/or on the market is that no action is demanded of the person carrying it in the event of an attack other than the natural inclination to release ones grip. Releasing ones grip on the aerosol can and lever and dropping the device then activates an irrevocable screech alarm. This device plays to the psychological implications of attack in that if active, overt action is taken by the person who is the subject of a rape, for example, the attacker oftentimes becomes more violent. With this device, the natural inclination to show fright and drop whatever one is carrying serves to activate the alarm. More particularly, when the device is released from the hand, a spring loaded lever (similar in feature to a military hand grenade) flies up and away from the can and becomes separated. That in turn releases a spring loaded fly-away plug valve allowing the propellant to escape and sound the alarm signaling portion of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,908 relates to a portable audio apparatus having an alarm, electric stun and spray deterrent. Said primary and radically different feature of this device from those currently patented and/or on said market is that said self-protection devices are incorporated in a portable audio apparatus. This device allows said user to enjoy audio while having a feeling of security. Activation of said security system occurs by pulling said cord or releasing one's grip which will also pull said cord. Once activated, said present invention is in said constant on position. In said constant on position said alarm will sound and said electric stun will be operable. In addition, said present invention allows said user at any time to depress a trigger to release an eye irritant to resist an attacker.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,289 discusses a self contained, wearable personal protection device that incorporates a silent security alarm feature, a smoke detector alarm feature and, optionally, the feature of providing the time of day to the wearer is disclosed. The personal protection device with these features is incorporated into a housing case that is sized to be worn about the wrist of an individual user. The personal protection device is particularly suited for use by children. The smoke detector alarm feature of the device automatically activates an audible alarm feature when smoke is detected. The silent security alarm feature is activated when the wearer pushes a button on the device. Further, the wrist worn personal protection device optionally provides the wearer with the time of day as a further incentive for the child to wear the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,015,817 discloses a system for monitoring the location of individuals, such as parolees, includes a wearable device worn by the individual and a portable device operatively coupled to the wearable device. The portable device is operatively coupled to a monitoring system through a wireless telephone network. The portable device transmits periodically encrypted location information as well as status information across the wireless network to the monitoring system. The monitoring system tracks the location of the individual and alerts the appropriate authorities when the individual violates a rule, such as a condition for parole. The portable device increases the time between transmissions when the individual is within a specified home location and reduces the time between transmissions when outside the specified location.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,173,526 gives a security and surveillance system for aircraft on the ground incorporates a plurality of strategically spaced sensors including video imaging generators, audio sensors, motion detectors, and fire and smoke detectors for monitoring critical components and critical areas of both the interior and the exterior of the a commercial transport such as an aircraft. The system is a comprehensive multi-media safety, tracking and/or surveillance system, which provides both visual and/or audio information as well as critical data such as location, direction, intrusion, fire and/or smoke detection and/or status of environmental conditions and/or asset systems status. The collected information is analyzed and prioritized according to type of event, location and nature of required response for automatically dispatching the proper response. The captured data and images are transmitted to a ground based security station for display on a monitor and may be recorded on a “black box” recorder as well as on a ground based recording system.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,195,192 describes a portable tracking device integrating a mobile phone module (e.g. based on GSM or 3G networks), a GPS module, a radio Beacon and ultrasonic beacon. The tracking device is normally in a hibernated state when the entire device consumes little energy and require no periodically changing or recharging batteries to power the device. It consumes power from the primary battery only when a tracking process is actually taken place. With this portable tracking device on the person who is unable to affirmatively report his or her whereabout, the remote center and/or a search team can communicate the GPS module, radio beacon and ultrasonic beacon of the tracking device via the mobile phone module based on existing wireless communication technologies, such SMS, GPRS, etc., on GSM or 3 G networks, which also serves as a means of initial rough estimation of the tracking device's location.
US Patent Application 20020108966 discusses an apparatus disguised as a flashlight to be used as a self protection device. This apparatus includes a housing ergonomically designed to fit a user's hand. Included in the housing are a battery, a low battery indicator device, a lighting device, a chemical spray canister, a shocking primary electrode and an additional shocking electrode, each component having a trigger assembly. The primary electrodes are triggered by a trigger switch. The additional electrode is triggered by applying force on the electrodes. The apparatus is used to either shoot the chemical spray at an assailant at a distance, or use the shocking primary electrode at a close distance, if the assailant is in front of a victim. When the assailant is at the back of the victim, the bottom additional electrode is activated for use while at the same time deactivating the shocking primary electrode. The personal safety device has a safety device that can disable the personal safety device when it is pulled from a user.
US Patent Application 2007063851 displays a personal advance warning system in the form of a portable, wearable device, the system being adapted to detect and alert the wearer of a possible threat to his/her safety. The system employs an array of infrared sensors to detect body heat from humans or animals at a distance of approximately fifteen feet, which provides a buffer zone to give a wearer time to make a decision as to the authenticity of the threat and to avoid sudden surprise. Integrated circuitry converts signals from the sensors into an audible warning and a text message. The text message indicates the location and the type (human or animal) of the potential threat. Each sensor of the array is located in a different area on the device.
US Patent Application 2012007735 describes a wearable personal tracking device that can communicate over a cellular network. The device includes a wrist mounted part, having a wristband and a clasp which holds the wristband on to the wrist of a user. The housing holds a position detecting part which detects the position of a user who is wearing said wrist mounted part, and a cellular transceiving part which communicates information including said information via the cellular network, e.g., via G3 cellular internet connectivity. The device automatically produces an alarm based on a position of the user when in a monitoring mode.
WO 2013050763 is a monitoring device for monitoring an individual is disclosed, comprising a main body for attachment to a person to be monitored. The device further comprises a technology system comprising a controller and/or a receiver, a sensor, and a transmitter, one or more security devices within the main body and/or the attaching means for hindering removal of the belt or attachment means from the person to be monitored. Alerting means are included for alerting a remote monitoring system or individual about unauthorised removal of the device or interference with the electronics, the attaching means or another element of the device. Means for alerting the remote monitoring system or individual about the welfare of the individual to be monitored or interactions of the individual to be monitored with their surrounding environment are provided and the device may interact with a home of the user as part of a system to control and/or monitor the living environment of the user.
WO 2013041735 describes an invention which lies in the field of tracking and monitoring persons, more specifically in possible emergency situations with the need to locate said persons in a possible circumstance. The subject matter of the invention consists of an electronic device having different communication, localization and state monitoring means which work together in a coordinated manner such that the device can be configured to detect risk situations and to send an alarm signal to an alarm centre without the need for active intervention by the user carrying the device.
EP 1803319 relates to a method and device for communicating with a person in distress comprising the steps of: providing a communication device (1); initiating an event in said communication device (1) for opening a two-way communication link with a monitoring entity (404); starting a camera (20) and display unit (40) on said communication device (1); transmitting communication signals between said communication device (1) and said monitoring entity (404); transmitting position data of and images from said communication device (1) to said monitoring entity (404).
CN 102822879 is an apparatus and method for a tracking device to inconspicuously track a person to be monitored (such as a child or at-risk adult) are presented. Some embodiments of the present invention combine a positioning receiver (e.g., a GPS receiver) and a locking mechanism to act as a tracking device, which attaches to an article of clothing or fabric wearable by the person to be monitored. Some embodiments of the present invention keep a positioning receiver and a radio frequency identification tag (RFID tag) or other RF tag, which are physically separate but in RF proximity of each other.
CN 201854375 provides a security monitoring integrated machine combined with wireless communication technology, computer processing and infrared sensing technology, which has an SOS function and is suitably used in different places. The integrated machine comprises a system main controller, a communication module, a serial interface for a peripheral device, a synchronous dynamic random access memory, a keyboard, an image sensor, a passive infrared detector, a memory and a microprocessor. The security monitoring integrated machine can achieve far distance real-time communication monitoring, realizes the functions of random snapshot and real-time transmission in the form of sending and receiving short messages and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) through the communication module, and has a broad application prospect.
CN 201936414 is an intelligent monitoring system belongs to a regional security monitoring field with a high intellectualization, and comprises an image information acquisition system, an intelligent tracking system and an early warning system. An image information database built by the image information acquisition system can improve an ability of identifying images coming from the outside of the region. The early warning system can quickly focus on abnormal events and abnormal actions within a monitoring range inside or outside the region. The intelligent tracking system of the intelligent monitoring system can restrain an occurrence probability of the abnormal events inside the region effectively, and simultaneously, actual monitoring blind spots are avoided, powerful image evidences are provided for a following dispose of the abnormal events, and the regional security is guaranteed to greatest extent. Problems that abnormal events can not be found promptly and the actual blind spots exist in a fixed-point monitoring, which are caused by inevitable neglects due to an excessive dependence on labor monitoring existing in the existing regional security monitoring system, are solved, and the intelligent monitoring system has the advantages of high intellectualization, no blind spots, safety, reliability and the like.
Indian Patent Application 427/KOL/2006 is a real time pervasive tracking, monitoring and management system involving wireless and mobile technologies. Importantly, the system of the invention advantageously involves wireless mesh network infrastructure comprising of a small, universal, battery-powered safe RF devices to locate, trace and manage mobile assets and people. The system would have various types of end uses and applications involving tracking and managing mobile assets and people, such as, tracking of movement of persons in sensitive and high risk zones such as, in mines to improve the safety of miners and improving their surveillance especially in the event of an emergency and favouring mine rescue operations as well as tracking of movement of high value assets and its movement management to achieve increased assets utilization and prevention of unauthorized access in stores. Advantageously, the system of the invention can further enable detection of environmental and/or other sensitive industrial or natural conditions and the like in various locations thus ensuring safety of persons and property.
Although some safety and security devices are available in the prior art and a few related to tracking using GPS; a multisensory wearable personal safety and/or tracking device that is capable of local and/or remote and automatic and/or manual storage capacity and/or activation which employs alert, assist and/or attack mechanisms to counter situations of emergency, problems or need faced by the wearer of the device is the need of the day.